Newbie

[AprilMartinez]

Hi, all. Just wanted to say I love the website and just installed the iPad/iPhone version. I am a new enthusiast with an African Cichlid tank and I love those guys! I can watch them for hours. My main reasons for joining are that I give my fish the best possible life, keep my fish healthy and happy and hopefully, with your advice, keep them alive for a long time. Thanks and looking forward to listening to what you have to say.

[Mrc8858]

Welcome to AA what size tank and what's the stock? And where are the pics! Lol

[AprilMartinez]

Sorry, still trying to figure out how to use this thing. Lol. I'm old already.

[AprilMartinez]

60 gallon African Cichlid tank
Emheim canister filtration kit up to 60 gallons, 145 gallon filtration an hour
Aquatech double roller filtration, tank mount, 30 gallons
2 live plants, mostly just plastics
3 mystery snails (Gary 1, 2, & 3)
natural 4" aragonite sand bed
3 yellow labs (1 adult, 2 juveniles)
4 rainbow/jewel
2 acei
2 auratus
1 moori
1 bumblebee
2 I have no clue, I think they are hybrids, they are silvery brown, brown striped, yellow/orange colored fins, sometimes they go a lite silver/blue with no stripes
2 blue elongatus? blue/dark blue stipes

pH 7.6
High pH 8.2
Ammonia between 0 ppm and 0.25 ppm (closer to 0 ppm)
Nitrites 0 ppm
Nitrates 20 ppm

dimensions on tank:
48"x25"x12 1/2" (outside measurements)

submersible heater: temp between 80-82

So, yesterday I added aquarium salt because my little guys kept rubbing themselves in the sand and on the rocks. I didn't see any ICH spots but I added some meds to the water anyway, just in case. Today one of my auratus is barely swimming along. I think it might be dying. Any suggestions on what I should do to help it along (not in dying but living). Everyone else seems to be doing fine and they are all eating but that one little guy/girl.

Also, I added some live plants to help with lowering the nitrate level. Any suggestions on that as well?

[Mrc8858]

You have a few fish that might not work and others that need more of their kind. It's best to keep mbuna 1/3 m/f ...the auratus and bumblebee have been known to be the most aggressive of the mbunas which could be the cause to them flashing (rubbing the rocks) due to territories becoming established. This is why Malawi tanks are overstocked to dial down the aggression so no one can claim any territory.

[Mrc8858]

Also the live plants probably won't last with them since they are all diggers

[AprilMartinez]

I've read about over stocking, that's why I have so many. I'm pretty new to owning Cichlids and I have been reading a ton on the internet and on here about which types to stock together and which not to. However, it wasn't until AFTER I had all my fish in. So much for being smart about it. I really enjoy all of them and the only real aggressive one is Yellow Beard (adult male yellow lab), he's ruthless sometimes. I'm going to keep them all (because I love them, I make their food for crying out loud), my questions now are how many more should I get? Is that safe for them? Do I have enough filtration? Thanks for replying as well. I appreciate your help and suggestions.